Despite its popularity and crowded beaches, it does maintain its own sort of charm. There is a path that goes around the lake’s 162 kilometers, so once you walk out of the upscale resort villages on Lago di Garda’s beachfront, there’s still plenty of room for hiking and getting in touch with nature.

Whenever I take a train out of Italy to Austria or France, I try to make a stop to visit my friend, who lives nearby in a little town that has more cornstalks than people. After a day of bustling around Garda, the contrast of the countryside (and the best pizza in the world, from a tiny little pizzeria in the middle of nowhere) is very much enjoyed.

Three more canvases… it’s getting tough to not start looking at plane tickets already 🙂